Oslo Hackney information

Oslo Hackney is a bar, restaurant and music venue by the team behind Nottingham's Rock City and Bristol's Thekla.

Open within a redeveloped railway station, Oslo Hackney offers a great choice of craft beers, ales and spirits from local suppliers while the food menu has an emphasis on locally sourced, seasonal produce.

A good selection of beer and drinks but for the prices you pay (between £4.50-£5) for a pint I would expect better service than we got. There were plenty of young trendy people behind the bar but none seemed that interested in serving.
We ordered bar food and although I realise a slider burger is normally three bite sized burgers, all I got was one bite size burger that was very dry. I expect more from a £4 slider. Which was served at a different time than my friend's food. I know Hackney is getting trendy and all but really for a decent pint and reasonably priced food there are plenty of other nice options in the area.

Great addition to Hackney Central, awesome variety of music on offer, excellent selection of beers and some super interesting food.
Staff were really friendly and helpful and the crowd was nice and accessible, didn't feel out of place

Went to Oslo on Tuesday for my girlfriends bday, first impression was excellent, loved the layout of the bar, atmosphere was superb, Music was just right. We ordered the Burger and the Plaice, Burger was really dry as was the brioche bun which broke up into small pieces due to it`s dryness, I ended up having to eat it with a knife and fork ! in a city of great burgers, this was a big let down, only saving grace were the fantastic real chips. The Plaice was a decent enough dish, probably a little on the small side, but well cooked and good flavours. We then finished the meal with a peanut butter cheesecake, for 10 quid I was expecting a knockout, sadly it was also a let down, it was really dry and lacking in flavour and texture, only thing saving it were the caramalised bananas. The desert took 45 mins to arrive after ordering, staff were apologetic but the service was overall pretty amateurish, hard to know if anyone was in charge. In summing up the experience I would say it`s a great place with bags of potential, superb drinks but sadly though I would`t recommend as a place to eat.

Hackney has its fair share of late-night basement dive bars and rowdy, open-all-hours pubs, but a bespoke music venue and club on large scale is welcomed with open arms to the area.

The Venue
Oslo is brought to Hackney by the folk behind Bristol’s club on a boat, Thekla, and Nottingham’s Rock City, and so they’ve put some good knowledge into practice when kitting out this venue. Right by Hackney Central station and on the track of several major bus routes, you won’t have trouble arriving at the venue. Enter the downstairs bar and you’re met with dazzling light fittings draped with ethereal fabrics that soften the lighting to a flattering level. Long tables populate the middle of the room, while a tall table with stools sits to the side of the long bar and a bench runs along the opposite wall for leaning against or resting a pint. It’s all rustic wood panelling and white-painted walls and there’s a thrilling absence of the overdone exposed brick aesthetic.

Two industrial-looking stairwells at the front and rear of the venue lead up to the club and a neighbouring snug bar. There’s twisted artwork in these recesses featuring black and white, mutilated forest creatures and otherworldly animals. The snug is painted in a rich, turquoise colour and holds church pew seating round the perimeter, but the club is the piece de resistance, setting Oslo apart from other hipster hangouts in the vicinity. A stage is set up with a backdrop for visuals, and the lighting in the large room lets off a sexy purple hue. The acoustics are excellent, so all looks geared up for some serious gigs and club nights.

The Atmosphere
Granted, Oslo is going to attract its fair share of hipsters, but the attitude is left at the door, much aided by down to earth and smiley staff rushing around behind the bar and between floors. Young professionals from the area are already flocking here to see what this new kid on the block has to offer, but the diverse line-up of live acts and DJs as well as regular club nights is sure to draw in a crowd of discerning musos from further afield. The dress code is laid-back, with an abundance of denim and beanie hats on show. Much is done to maximise the space in the bar for those who wish to dine, but it never feels crammed – just enjoyably cosy and buzzy. The best bit about Oslo is that it can cater for whatever kind of night you like – have a few drinks and a bite to eat at the bar, and then carry on the evening in the club upstairs.

The Music
In the bar you can expect retro disco anthems clashing with remixes of indie and chillwave tunes. The club takes the music in several directions, though, with Friday club night Vahalla supplying the very best in pop music with a faint hip hop twist, promising a rota of hits from Fleetwood Mac to Fugees. Saturdays see a more dedicated club vibe take over Oslo, with underground electronic music and record label showcases - club night Dollop seems to have found a new home here already, with several dates on the agenda for the opening months. Finally, weeknights see gigs taking over the upstairs space, shining a light on indie acts with a growing following.

The Food
The food is as serious as the music at Oslo, with bar snacks to die for. These consist of some pretty sexy sliders – fillings include braised oxtail with smoked bone marrow mayo – and buckets, an innovative route to take your snacking – corn puppies in a BBQ batter come with a honey and mustard dressing. Even the chips are dangerous here, with a dedicated list of options. Death by bacon includes double cooked chips that are tossed in bacon fat and a bacon ketchup on the side… lethal.

On-trend small plates find a spot on the menu and include cod cheeks with tarar sauce and crab cauliflower cheese on toast. And there are large plates as creative as salt baked celeriac, spinach puree, beetroot and warm pickled quails egg, to suit the veggies. The Oslo burger is bound to be a big hit on this list, thanks to its 42 day aged Devon Longhorn patty and horseradish cheddar – it even comes with an oxtail shot on the side.

Finally, it looks like Sundays will be a big attraction, with a ‘Sunday Service’ menu showcasing slow cooked brisket, whole boned and stuffed chicken or a nut roast. This all costs £20 per person and comes with a bottomless Bloody Mary in a variety of strengths – the ‘hangover special’ is bound to blow away the cobwebs.

The Drink
The best thing about the bar is that it does a great job of highlighting the burgeoning local beer scene, be that by sporting its own Oslo lager (£3.50) – a very drinkable and hoppy option brewed by Five Points – or by supplying other options from Five Points, Crate and Redemption, all breweries from around the block (£4.40-£4.90 a pint). These are joined by the typical trendy American craft beers you’d expect on draught too, such as Sierra Nevada pale ale and Brooklyn Lager.

Kent’s Chapel Down is also stocked in the wine stash, although the mark-up is significant at £30 for a bottle of Flint Dry. You may be better off exploring the very good house wines instead, such as a Picpoul de Pinet or a Claro Pinot Noir from Chile (£18 a bottle, £6 a glass).

The Last Word
The concept of a gig and club venue - and everything in between - to suit the mob of Hackney hipsters is one that’s been a long time coming. With a diverse music line-up, original decor and food and drink to die for, Oslo is sure to be the place to be seen in 2014.